With Mock I running, and a wait-list for Mock II already in place, here's a reminder on the rules that help the Mock Drafts run as smoothly and productively as possible, and to remain directed at helping the community at large....

Based on past experience with other Forum Mock Drafts, here are the rules to keep Mock Drafts helpful for the community at large, and help the Draft move along and complete successfully:

RW COMMUNITY MOCK DRAFT RULES (EDITED 2013)______________________

1. One Mock Draft at a time, from January to a week before Opening Day. The Main Forum is not the Forum for league creation, but as a vehicle to help general discussion.

2. Members who wish to participate in this Mock Draft will first confirm in descending order if the members who gave their names that they can actually be around or reachable on a regular basis for 7-10 days minimum. Once 12 are confirmed, any still left can be wait-listed for dropouts. If you can't do it, let others do it who can.

3. Two threads will exist for each Mock Draft - a sign-up / discussion thread and a Picks-only thread. All posters are welcome to comment and constructively critique draft picks - but the 12 Draft members make the picks (or their designate / queue picks), barring delays described below. If you want to comment - do so in the Mock Draft thread - and NOT the Mock Draft Pick Thread. That thread will be for picks ONLY.

4. An agreed upon mechanism when delays during peak posting hours should be in place - leaving a pick queue or substitute picker in advance of known absences will go a long way to minimize long delays - but if excessive delays without ETA occur, it's fair for the draft to go with a plan B - which is to allow the league to draft based on need/consensus if an absence of > 3 hours (or by a time designated by the group) prior to the Draft's start. The clock will NOT be applied for overnight / early AM (unless you are all East Coast posters, in which the hours can be modified by unanimous agreement). If 2 or more absences of 3+ hours without pick lists / designated substitute occurs where there is no notice or advance warning given, an owner may be replaced from the wait-list. For Greater Clarity - the 3-hour time limit is meant for occasional absences. It is NOT meant as the rule of law. If owners cannot meet the ability to draft 3-4x in a draft day regularly, they should NOT register - and may be replaced if they cannot meet this commitment first & foremost. As context matters (weekends, later rounds, etc.) - the group will discuss & determine the best way to proceed in repeated absences are occurring.

5. The PM/listing draft picks taken done regularly here really works to keep everyone up to date & promote discussion, so Mock Draft participants also agree to help out with this. To be clear, this means posting if you want to leave a list with someone because you will be away, and if you are about to pick soon. Ask if you don't know who to leave a list with. It also means once you have picked, send a PM to the next owner to let then know they are OTC (on the clock!)

6. All members can post & discuss picks made in the Draft signup & discussion thread - but we leave the picks to the 12 (or their designates/plan B if they are absent), and the picks in the Picks-only thread.

7. Format's for the general community, so 5x5 still rules the day. Formats are chosen to be generalizable to the community at large - so 5x5 standard settings will be used. FOR GREATER CLARITY: Given the popularity of Yahoo & ESPN, these are the formats used for the first 2 drafts. If we get past 2 Mock Drafts, the exact details will be determined prior to each draft, with the 5x5 format remaining to serve the community at large, in keeping with the generalizable theme.

8. Any poster who is not on the list above can submit their name to be wait-listed - we may get drop-outs, and of course, other Mock Drafts remain a possibility - but again, the present Mock completes first, as the Mock is for the general community as a whole, and not simply as a means for practice for the 12 members (otherwise, it would be in another Forum).

A reminder on some of the practices that help keep the draft running smoothly:

1. Make sure to click "Follow this Topic" for the Picks-Only thread - and ensure you get e-mail notifications for topics that you follow. The "Follow This Topic" link is on the upper-right hand side of the 1st post of each page. Your notification settings are in "Your Profile" - look under "Notifications".

2. Copy/pasting the draft order with recent picks and updating your pick is FAR BETTER than posting your team in the Picks-Only thread. Posting your team roster is helpful in the discussion thread - but in the Picks Only thread, it's far more effective to have a draft board updated by round, not by team. If you are on a mobile and can't post the whole list - let others know why it's only 1 player. Whenever you can, post the draft board - because it helps keep everyone's list up-to-date. Also, when you have posted your pick - make sure to PM the owner behind you - a simple "Mock Draft OTC Round X" in title is all that's needed.

3. If you are going to be OTC soon (1-2 picks away) but you know you will be away, leave a pick queue or target list with another drafting member who can't snipe you. If you don't know who to leave this list with - post on the Discussion thread your need to leave a list. This a practice that members in ALL online "slow" drafts do to keep drafts going. It's also the way to get 3-4 rounds in a day done - by not delaying a draft simply because you are OTC, know your target list, but aren't around the Forums when your turn comes up.

4. Remember, it is just a mock draft - but there are 11 other members who agreed to the above - and they expect the 12 will do their best to get the draft done in the 7-10 day timeframe. It's simply what is fair to the other 11 members - and since you are agreeing to the principles above, you've agreed to respect the timeframes. These timeframes were put in place not to optimize draft results - but to respect the other's time spent for this draft. So, again - if you can't meet the requirements - let someone else do it, and enjoy watching it from the sidelines.

One final note - the above is meant to ensure the Mock Drafts run as smoothly as possible, and also to benefit the community at large. The most successful drafts have used these principles, but more importantly, when community as a whole (the 12 members drafting) have taken the Draft and run with it. In other words - the Draft rules are what help standardize the drafts for the Community at large - but only the Community Draft members can make the Draft succeed. As such, if the 12 members can agree to modifications on timeframes, weekends, etc. - in the end, the group has to make the draft work, so it's more important the group figure this out, and then commit to running it together (the only unchangeables are the 5x5 format (generalizable) and 1 draft at a time (the Forum's not a draft room).

To be clear - the above principles are meant to help the draft group get organized, get started, and to move the draft along, and to resolve any outstanding issues - but other than the basics being preserved (1 draft at a time, 12 teams, 5x5 format, separate threads for picks & discussion) - the GROUP works out the issues, using the framework above to help them make these calls! In other words - for each group - get together, get agreement, and get going! Best of luck!

To recap the main points:

1. Mock II won't start until Mock I is complete, and we also have 12 confirmed owners ready to draft, and able to do so for 7-10 days, 3-4x minimum checking in daily (or leaving pick queues behind).2. 12 drafters post their picks in the Picks-only thread, the discussion remains here.3. With everyone up to date on the rules & format, and with the Format for Mock I & II clearer for all - Mods will help when they can - but what makes these drafts succeed is when the 12 members make it work (keeping each other up-to-date, in communication, and updating the picks for those coming in).4. Two suggestions that have worked well in the past - follow the Picks-only topic (so when a new pick is made, every drafting owner gets a notice), and keep each other in the loop with PM/email on pick queues, absences, etc. Also, feel free to copy/paste draft updates to keep your fellow owners up-to-date on who's been picked, who's OTC and who's coming soon...

With Mock Draft I coming to a close, Mock Draft II will officially start on Monday, January 21st, at 8AM (EST). As with the initial draft, the official clocking hours are 8 AM (EST) to 6 PM (EST) every weekday - no draft participant is obligated to make a pick during off-hours.

As the last draft was based on default Yahoo! settings, this draft will use the other prominent fantasy platform: it will assume the default ESPN template, which is standard 5x5 H2H and incorporates the following roster:

wow that was fast. Not a good month for me so I will have to pass for this mockdraft....hopefully I can do the 3rd one

No worries - and thanks for stepping up to the plate and being honest with everyone.

With monkeyzonSteroids' departure, nbafan_123 has been contacted about the vacancy. If he confirms that he's read and agrees to comply by the draft rules, then I'll open up the picks-only thread. Again, the clock officially starts on Monday at 8 AM (EST), but there's no harm in getting the obvious picks out of the way if you guys choose to do so.

wow that was fast. Not a good month for me so I will have to pass for this mockdraft....hopefully I can do the 3rd one

No worries - and thanks for stepping up to the plate and being honest with everyone.

With monkeyzonSteroids' departure, nbafan_123 has been contacted about the vacancy. If he confirms that he's read and agrees to comply by the draft rules, then I'll open up the picks-only thread. Again, the clock officially starts on Monday at 8 AM (EST), but there's no harm in getting the obvious picks out of the way if you guys choose to do so.

At the end of the 1st mock, Dirk's Digglers observed that individual roster updates should have been posted in the general discussion thread rather than the picks thread. It would make the picks a lot easier to follow. Just a suggestion.

At the end of the 1st mock, Dirk's Digglers observed that individual roster updates should have been posted in the general discussion thread rather than the picks thread. It would make the picks a lot easier to follow. Just a suggestion.

At the end of the 1st mock, Dirk's Digglers observed that individual roster updates should have been posted in the general discussion thread rather than the picks thread. It would make the picks a lot easier to follow. Just a suggestion.

Completely agree. Although at the end of the draft. It would be nice to see the teams completely built in the picks thread IMO..